The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole)

A mystery written in the 80's introducing Elvis Cole & Joe Pike. Private investigators in California taking on a case that starts out as a missing husband and child and then gets to the seedier side of Hollywood studios and players. Add in a bullfighter and the mob and there's a fast paced mystery. I enjoyed a lot about this book, namely that there were no cell phones back then and legwork to gather information was a mainstay. I thought there was a little missing surrounding the partnership with Pike and his background. I'm assuming you have to continue to read the next book in the series

Possibly one of the most delightful moments for a crabby old reader and reviewer of mystery stories is to discover an excellent author whom he has somehow missed. Of course, in this case it is also a bit embarrassing. Robert Crais is the author of, among other things, 'L.A. Requiem,' indicating that this reviewer is not only unobservant, but a bit stubborn as well. I am not always a fan of the hard-boiled detective/hero genre, and most of those I don't like seem to live around Los Angeles.Deciding to break with a long tradition (for me), I ordered this book, the first in the Elvis Cole series, for my trial dip. I was ill prepared for a small but potent bombshell that won its author several awards and nominations. Gasping for breath, I settled in for an unexpectedly wild and enjoyable ride.Elvis Cole is the anti-detective incarnate. In an office filled with Disney memorabilia, shared with an invisible partner, Cole meets with new client Ellen Lang and her best friend Janet Simon. The problem - Ellen's husband Mort and her son Perry have disappeared. Ellen is a difficult client, but Mort definitely was not a perfect husband, and Cole proceeds on the assumption that this is a straightforward parental snatch and run.Cole discovers Mort's girlfriend is missing as well, and that his business partners in the film business are a bit sleazy, but he is caught by surprise when this suddenly becomes a murder case. The badness mounts as Cole finds his clues lead from film moguls to the top of the narcotics trade. Soon Cole, on a grim search for the boy, is having his strings pulled by people who would just as soon kill him as look at him. With unusual adeptness, the detective switches from Jiminy Cricket quotes to guns and fists. Joined by his partner, Elvis Cole goes to war.The success of this genre of detective fiction rises and falls on the quality of main characters. Between John MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Robert Parker, etc., etc., original plots are hard to come by. So a unique character like the wisecracking, 1966 Corvette driving Elvis Cole is too precious to waste. If you are looking to breathe some fresh air on your musty old mystery shelves, don't even consider passing this one by.

After reading the Monkey's Raincoat for the first time, I immediately went out and read two more of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series. I was hooked! Crais' main PI character is unlike the typical hard-nosed, no-nonsense detective you'll find in other series. Elvis Cole is eccentric, yet lovable (the guy has an office full of Disney figurines!). Doesn't sound hardcore enough for you? Well if you like a tough guy in your mysteries, Joe Pike, Elvis' Cole's friend, is the antithesis of everything Cole is--mysterious, serious, and a no-nonsense tough guy. You'll love this book for its mix of intrigue and humor. I have heard only great things about "L.A. Requiem", the book by Crais where Joe Pike is the main character. Unfortunately, I haven't had a time to read it yet. But based on what I've seen in The Monkey's Raincoat, you can bet its going to be the next book I read.

Elvis Cole is my kind of detective! I don't think that there is any other writer quite like Crais and his excellent characters Elvis Cole & Joe Pike. If you like great thrillers that are humorous but keep you entertained and guessing throughout the whole story, then you will love The Monkeys Raincoat. Somehow, Crais is able to depict his characters so lifelike that you can actually imagine all the scenes, especially those with the high body counts!This is the 2nd Crais novel (with Elvis) that I have read & I couldn't put it down! They are truly excellent books that will keep you laughing & guessing all the way to the bookstore when you get another one!

The Monkey's Raincoat, grabs you from the first chapter, puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you there to the climactic end of the book. Meet Elvis Cole, Viet Nam vet, ex-security guard turned private investigator. He's a hard boiled, wise-cracking detective who gives Mike Hammer and Sam Spade a run for their money. The case begins as Ellen Lang hires Elvis to find her missing husband, Hollywood agent, Mort, who's taken their son and disappeared. Unfortunately, the case is a bit more complicated than just a simple missing person. Mort is soon found shot dead in his car, there's no sign of the son and Ellen is missing too. Elvis Cole is now on a mission to find mother and son and it involves missing drugs and some pretty frightening bad guys. Robert Crais has created a great mystery with a tight plot, full of terrific, interesting characters. His writing is crisp and sharp with witty and irreverent dialogue and action packed scenes. This is a fast paced, page turner that won't let you down. Mr. Crais deserved all the nominations and awards this book won.

This is the first entry in Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series and is a great read. Crais is a former TV writer who wrote for Emmy Award winning series such as L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues. In Elvis Cole, he creates a charcter who, on the surface, seems to be just another wise cracking private eye, but is actually so much more. Along with his perpetually sunglassed partner Joe Pike, Elvis owns a P.I. Agency in Los Angeles. Pike is quite interesting as well. He says little and lives life according to a strict code of discipline. He reminds me a little bit of Clint Eastwood from his spaghetti western days. The book opens with Elvis meeting with Ellen Lang & her friend Janet. It appears that Ellen's husband Mort has kidnapped their son. Elvis reluctantly takes the case and what appears to be a routine case of a missing person turns into something much bigger. Through many twists and turns involving small time Hollywood agents and actresses, he eventually comes face to face with a Mexican crime lord, who is a former bullfighter. He thinks Elvis has his missing cocaine and the story ends with Elvis searching for the cocaine and a showdown in the crime lord's compound. Crais weaves many interesting characters into a fast paced, humorous tale. The book contains the right amount of twists and turns to keep you on your toes, but not too many as to seem implausible. He reveals just enough about Elvis & Pike for us to get know them, but leaves somethings about them uncovered, so they can be explored in future books. This book is as entertaining as any I ever read and if you enjoy mystery novels, you love this one.